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ROYAL WEDDING aside, here's how people tie the knot around the world

The Royal Wedding is well and truly upon us as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle enjoy their last few hours as singletons before tying the knot in the UK this weekend.

The Royal Wedding is well and truly upon us as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle enjoy their last few hours as singletons before tying the knot in the UK this weekend.

Royal enthusiasts around the world have planned their ‘royal viewing parties’, while others have spent thousands and flocked to the UK just to be that tiny bit closer to the nuptials.

Then there are others such as Babbel.com, who used the royal wedding as an opportunity to consider the universal meaning of marriage and how it differs across various cultures.

Here’s what the language app found.

 

Germany

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Image: Soroush Karimi/Unsplash

Believe it or not, Germany has a number of creative wedding traditions:

First, on the evening before the wedding, the family and friends of the bride and groom will gather together to break crockery – a tradition called ‘polterabend’. The couple will then clear up the crockery together as a symbol of togetherness, and to prove how they will work as a team.

Secondly, in some regions of Germany, the bride can also find herself being ‘kidnapped’ by the wedding guests and brought to a ‘hiding place’. The groom is then sent out to find her, and free her by drinking schnapps and playing drinking games against her ‘captors’.

 

Italy

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Image: Tom Grimbert/Unsplash

Italians love a good party, and a wedding is no exception.

Before arriving at the reception, guests will form a queue behind the lucky couple and use their horn (very loudly!) to celebrate the wedding.

The guests also have a part to play after the ceremony, when they will throw rice and flowers at the newlyweds to wish their marriage food and fertility.

Another thing that always has to be present at the wedding party is the ‘bomboniera’: a small present given to all guests, containing five white ‘confetti’, (sugared almonds) symbolising health, fertility, happiness, wealth and long life.

 

Portugal

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Portuguese weddings have many great traditions such as the bride typically will make the journey by foot to the ceremony, along with the whole wedding party. Later on, the bride’s shoe will be passed around the guests, who will stuff it with money to help the young couple embark upon their new life together.

At the end of the evening, the bride and groom are expected to actually escape their wedding, with guests creating humorous obstacles!

 

Russia

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Image: Tom Grimbert/Unsplash

Russians don’t do things by half, and therefore it is not uncommon for a Russian wedding to last two days, or even a week!

Carried out in an entertaining way, on the morning of the wedding, upon arriving at the bride’s home, the groom is expected to pay a ‘ransom’ for his bride. He will present gifts, such as jewellery, to the family, until they are satisfied with what he has offered!

Like a Toastmaster, Russian weddings feature a ‘Tamada’ (or entertainer) who acts as a host, is in charge of games and makes sure everything goes to plan.

 

France

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In France, it is a tradition for two weddings to take place, as only a civil ceremony carried out in the town hall of one of the bride or groom’s hometown, by the Mayor (or his deputy), is legally recognised.

The wedding ‘toast’ originated in France, as it is custom to literally place a small piece of toast into the couple’s glasses, which is supposed to ensure them a happy and healthy life together. It is also usual for them to have a ‘pièce montée’ in place of a wedding cake, which is a tower made up of small balls of pastry filled with cream.

 

Brazil 

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Image: Ben Ostrower/Unsplash

If there’s one thing that Brazilians know how to celebrate, it’s a wedding.

Before the day itself, the bride will have the names of her bridesmaids sewn into the hem of her dress, as this will help them to find their own grooms in the near future.

The day itself is divided into three parts, marrying the couple twice over in one day.

The bride and groom form a union both in the eyes of the law at the civil service and in the church at the religious service, all topped off with an appropriately sized reception to match.

 

READ: Britain the talk of the world ahead of Royal Wedding

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How do you celebrate weddings?